In Loving Memory – Ralph “Dale” Earnhardt Senior

February 18, 2001 would go on to mean more to Dale Earnhardt’s family than he would ever know. Not only was it the day of the biggest race of the year, one of which his son was part of, it was also the last day he would be seen alive. 

~

Known as the fearless “intimidator”, Earndhardt lived up to his nickname, even in his last minutes of being alive. He was racing in a three man team, acting as the rear gunner for his teammates in an attempt to block any other contenders from securing the win. Lap 3 was a success but it was Lap 4 that would prove to be the real issue. Rounding the final block, Earnhardt’s left rear tagged Sterling Marlins right front fender, getting his car loose. While battling hard for control, his car clipped the apron and he began to spin clockwise, still moving forward on the track coming closer to his competitors – Rusty Wallace and Ken Schrader. 

His right rear corner was struck by Schrader’s left front which was where things took a turn for the worse. It crucially impacted the angle at which the car was traveling and it went nose first into unprotected concrete.  

At first, this appeared to be a regular crash however the impact was devastating for the driver. The two cars continued to spin down the track together when Earnhardt’s right rear wheel came loose – a clear indicator the impact of the hit was worse than what was first thought. Schrader’s car hit the wall adjacent to Earnhardt’s, going at the same speed but at a slightly better angle and he came out uninjured. Medical crew came on the scene minutes later, pulled Earndhardt’s body out of the car and took him to a waiting ambulance nearby. Despite their best efforts, Dale was pronounced dead at Halifax Medical Center. 

~

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Senior, known as Dale Earnhardt, was born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States, to parents Ralph Lee Earnhardt and Martha Coleman. He is the third kid from a total of 5 kids (Danny, Randy, Cathy, and Kaye). Like his brother Danny, Ralph followed in his father’s footsteps, who happened to not only be a mechanic in his down time, but also raced stock cars in Southeast America during the 1960’s. 

Earnhardt knew from a young age that he wanted to get into racing. After all, he did come from a very deep rooted family tree in motorsport racing going back all the way back to his grandfather’s time. His father also made a name for himself, winning NASCAR’s Sportsman Championship in 1956 and finished in the top ten of the NASCAR National Sportsman standing six years along the way. He even made history as the first car builder/driver to understand and use the tire stagger. 

So, at the age of 16, Ralph decided to drop out of high school and went through several full time jobs while attempting to get his racing career off the ground. He got into the habit of borrowing money to maintain the vehicles he practiced with and reimbursed creditors with his small winnings.  

After his father’s death (in 1973 – Ralph was 22), Earnhardt was even more inspired to keep going. He became more committed to racing professionally and continued to compete in local events hoping to find bigger opportunities along the way. It didn’t take him long to get noticed, especially because he was among some of the youngest racers that actually had their talent recognized by big names in the industry early on. 

On May 25, 1975, he drove in his first Winston Cup Race – the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s World 600. This race was special because the winner wasn’t determined automatically. Throughout the year, drivers would participate in several races that made up the series and gain points in each race based on their position they finished in. In order to win the race, the driver had to have the most points earned that year. Ralph finished 22nd and made 8 more starts in the series during his first 3 years of the circuit.  

At the age of 28, he earned the title of NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year – and this was just the beginning of the many awards and honours he would receive. We cover some of his major awards in a later section below. 

Personal Life

Dale was married a total of 3 times. He married his first wife, Latane Brown, at the age of 17, and had one kid with her – Kerry Earnhardt. The pair got divorced in 1970 and he got remarried in 1971 to Brenda Gee – the daughter of NASCAR car builder Robert Gee. Earnhardt had two kids with Brenda – Kelley King Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shortly after his son was born, Brenda and himself got divorced. In 1982 he got married to Teresa Houston, who he had one daughter with – Taylor Nicole Earnhardt.

Awards and Honours

Through his lifetime and even after his death, Earnhardt earned a lot of awards and honors. Here are a few really major ones: 

• 1994 – Awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt 
• 1998 – Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
• 2004 – Posthumously inducted in the Oceanside Rotary Club Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame at Daytona Beach 
• 2006 – Posthumously inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame 
• 2010 (May 23) – Posthumously inducted into the Inaugural Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame 
• 2020 – Posthumously inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame   

Legacy

Dale Earnhardt was a legend that can never be forgotten, not only from all the history he’s made in the racing industry, but even just the lives he’s touched through inspiration and helping people out. In his memory, he’s had roads named after him, a foundation – the Dale Earnhardt Foundation – created to help undergraduates who are interested in motorsports and automotive engineering and even a ride called the “Intimidator 305” at the King’s Dominion in Doswell, Virginia.  

His helmet from the 1998 season is in the National Museum of American History in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC for visitors to see. But honestly, the most meaningful way to honor his death, in my opinion, is what Daytona decided to do. A month before his death, the Daytona International Speedway opened and named a seating section after him, calling it the Earnhardt Tower. 

He may be long gone, but his legacy will always live on. Long live Ralph Dale Earnhardt #3